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Ariel Henry
Photo: Oficina del Primer Ministro de Haiti / Aton Chile / IMAGO
According to the Caribbean community of states Caricom, the interim Prime Minister of the crisis state of Haiti, Ariel Henry, who is stuck abroad, has agreed to resign.
The heads of government of the Caribbean are currently meeting in Jamaica.
At the meeting in Jamaica's capital Kingston, to which Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also present, the idea of setting up a transitional presidential council to pave the way for elections was discussed as a solution to the crisis state of Haiti.
Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali has now announced that a seven-member Presidential Council will be established for the transition to elections in Haiti.
This council should determine a new interim prime minister.
Haiti has been suffering from violence from criminal gangs for years.
Since the two most powerful people joined forces, the country has descended into chaos.
Ariel Henry has ruled since the assassination of the last elected president, Jovenel Moïse, in the summer of 2021. There have been no elections since then.
Henry was actually supposed to leave office at the beginning of February.
Instead, he agreed with the opposition to govern together until new elections were held "within twelve months."
While Henry was on a trip abroad in Kenya to sign an agreement to send an intervention force to bring Haiti's gang wars under control, an uprising broke out.
The gangs demanded his resignation.
At the meeting of the Caribbean community of states, the USA made financial commitments to Haiti: They want to support a multinational security mission with 300 million dollars (around 274 million euros).
33 million dollars will also flow into humanitarian aid.
The UN Security Council had already approved the mission to support the Haitian police in the fight against criminal gangs in October.
Kenya plans to send 1,000 police officers to lead the mission;
However, a court in the East African country ruled that the plan was unconstitutional.
According to a UN spokesman on Monday, only $10.8 million has been raised to finance the mission.
The US Congress had not released previously promised funds.
Ariel Henry is free to remain in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico or travel elsewhere, a senior U.S. official told reporters on Monday, shortly after Henry's resignation was publicly announced.
Henry had said several times that he wanted to return to Haiti.
But for this to happen, the security situation must improve.
vet/dpa